


Priceless

by FreeShavocadoo



Series: Demon deals AU [2]
Category: HiGH&LOW (Movies), HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Crossroads demon AU, M/M, deal making
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 18:36:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15467517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeShavocadoo/pseuds/FreeShavocadoo
Summary: Ice knows he shouldn't do it, but he thinks it's the only way to move forward. So, he makes the deal.





	Priceless

All things considered, life was pretty good for everyone at the Funk Jungle. The flow of cash was steady, the company they kept was good and they were thriving in an environment in which they all felt safe and at home. Life as mercenaries had suited them at a time where making money was the priority over their safety, but now they had no need to sacrifice their sanity, morality and safety for cash. Sometimes, Pearl and Bernie would discuss how amazing it was, how far they’d all come from being throwaway teenagers that all met under strange circumstances and bonded over their love for music. Bernie always described it as a miracle. Ice knew better, though.

There were few things Ice wouldn’t have given up to get out of the place he grew up in, then when he met other people like him it became a desire to keep them all safe and secure but also to thrive. Ice was tired of just getting by, he wanted the world and then some. He’d only been in his early twenties, still roaming around to find a place to call his own, when the devil on his shoulder had appeared and offered him something he couldn’t refuse. There were plenty of people who’d made it out of the streets Ice had lived in once and out of them all, only one ever came back to tell them how he’d done it. Ice didn’t believe a word of it, being naturally cynical over anything that involved getting exactly what you wanted. But then, one day, he was desperate.

 

* * *

 

 

_There was only one crossroads near where Ice had grown up and it was rarely used at all, the roads being desolate and falling into complete disrepair. It didn’t help that there were never any fully working streetlights, with only one working at any given time, giving the place the eerie quality of every kind of horror movie anyone could think of. Normally, Ice’s instincts would’ve told him to turn away, as they were currently, yet he couldn’t bring himself to turn back around. It would be admitting defeat, cursing himself to a life of mediocrity, getting by but never accomplishing anything. So, he continues on down the road with the occasional stumble until he reaches the derelict sign for the crossroads, taking in a deep breath. It doesn’t take him long to bury the box, running high on adrenaline and impatience, wondering if this was worth his time or not._

_“Good evening.” The voice is smooth, rather playful and not at all what Ice was expecting._

_Turning around, Ice realises that perhaps all of his expectations of this meeting were wrong, faced with a platinum-haired young man in a sharp suit with a suggestive smirk. He stands beside the street signposts, leaning against it effortlessly._

_“Hi?” Ice inwardly curses himself, feeling more incompetent by the second, even though his rational side is telling him that there’s not really a standard etiquette for calling upon a crossroads demon. Ryu’s voice in his head tells him that even if there isn’t a proper etiquette, saying ‘hi’ is just social suicide regardless of the only other person present being a demon._

_“Hmm. My **my** , someone is a little, how should I word this? Out of their league.” He smirks wider, regarding Ice with crinkled eyes and a tilted head. _

_“Nah. I’m not.” Ice corrects him, standing as tall as he can and moving his chin upwards, attempting to feel some semblance of control over the situation, regardless of how fruitless it might seem. “So, why’d they send you, bro?”_

_For the second time in the night, Ice wonders why he cannot seem to help himself even when he’s feeling intense fear and sensing danger, from using the words and phrases he does with friends. He supposes it would be easier if the man in front of him had some form of visual cue that he was a demon, instead of looking like an average, well, relatively average man._

_“You’re a funny one,” he replies, standing up properly instead of leaning against the sign now, Ice already being able to tell he’s taller even if only by a margin, “but you didn’t summon me here to ask **me** why **I’m** here. So why don’t you start talking, if you can manage it?”_

_“I’m sure I can manage it.” Ice snipes back, rolling his eyes and looking away into the distance, growing uncomfortable with the feeling of eyes on him, feeling scrutinised. “So you could give me anything I wanted, right?”_

_“Well, we’re forward, aren’t we?” He’s suddenly inches from Ice’s face, leaning down to make up the distance, now looking at Ice eye to eye. “What do you want, **bro**?” _

_His grin widens, like a shark, his eyes narrowing as they watched Ice closely, before returning to a sickly-sweet smile._

_“Fuck you,” Ice begins, getting more agitated by the second, never one to hide his true feelings or intentions, even, apparently, in front of a crossroads demon. “I want money. Legitimate money, lots of it. Enough to buy a nightclub and then some. An amount I’d never be able to gain in my lifetime without struggling.”_

_“So, you mean to tell me, you want to be rich?” He replies, circling Ice with a curious look on his face. “Don’t you already make quite a good amount of money, for someone of your age?”_

_“It isn’t legitimate money and I don’t wanna die in the pursuit of it. I ain’t got a problem with the way I get it, I’m just sick of strugglin’.” Ice answers honestly, sick of pretending he’s okay with running around in his early twenties killing people for money, fighting people for money when there’s no joy behind it. He can tell the others are sick of it too, and he doesn’t want to lose the only family he’s ever had over a lack of money, lack of a home._

_“Poor boy,” he strokes Ice’s cheek, smiling, his teeth sharp and his eyes twinkling, “I suppose it would be the charitable thing to do. Help you, I mean.”_

_“So you can do it?” Ice growls, attempting to ignore the mans attempt at riling him up, even if he wants nothing more than to knock his teeth out of his smirking head._

_“Why of course I can,” he breathes from behind Ice, his face so close to Ice’s neck he swears he can feel his cheek against it, “you silly boy.”_

_“Well then, ain’t this the part where you give me some bullshit list of conditions?” Ice huffs, turning to look at the man with an exasperated look. “Whatever your name is.”_

_“You may call me Lee, if it means that much to you.” Lee replies, tilting his head once more and looking Ice up and down a few times before giving a dimpled smile. “It will only cost you one thing.”_

_“I’m fuckin’ waiting for you to tell me what.” Ice snaps, wondering why he ended up with the most theatrical, pantomime demon there probably could have possibly been. Even still, there is something extremely unnerving about his smile, the way his teeth flash momentarily and his eyes seem to narrow with unbridled hunger._

_“It’s simple, Ice,” he takes a piece of Ice’s hair on his finger, twirling it with an amused look on his face, seeming momentarily distracted before continuing, “your soul.”_

_“My soul.” Ice repeats, wondering why he’s not surprised in the least, as though he expected that of course it would be his soul, why wouldn’t it be? “You sure I’ve got one?”_

_“I’m sure,” Lee laughs, a velvety laugh that’s oddly intoxicating, filling the air like smoke, making it hard for Ice to breathe, “your soul seems to be quite delicious, actually, by all accounts.”_

_“That so?” Ice sniggers, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the situation, here speaking to a man, a demon, that is telling him his soul would be delicious. Worse still, he’s debating giving his soul to him._

_“Ice, sweet boy,” Lee croons, taking Ice’s face in his hands with a feather-light touch, running his thumb over Ice’s lips, “you only have to say the word and I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”_

_“Yes. I want to.” Ice replies, resolute. This was no way to live, after all. If this was what he had to do to live, so be it._

_“Good boy. You’ve made the right decision.” Lee swoops down, kissing Ice with such ferocity that Ice feels completely at his mercy, holding onto his upper arms to steady himself as Lee maintains a soft hold of his face, pulling away after biting Ice’s lip. He only lets it go from between his teeth when Ice lets out a slight whine, although now his eyes are completely red and he stares at Ice in a way Ice is positive he’s never been stared at before, or will ever be stared at like that again._

_“So, that was it?” Ice asks, looking around as though expecting something, some kind of sign that something had just happened._

_“Patience, my sweet,” Lee teases, stepping backwards into the shadows slowly, “all good things come to those who wait.”_

_“They better fuckin’ had do.” Ice’s eyes follow him, not wanting to look away for a second, knowing that averting his gaze would probably be foolish._

_“If you need me again in the future, Ice, you need only call me,” his smile drops, his eyes going red once more, “I’m sure I could be of service to you.”_

* * *

 

 

Ice is regretful to say that it wasn’t the last time he’d seen Lee, even though every fibre of his being had told him to stay away and be thankful for what he had, especially considering the cost it took to get there. It wasn’t Lee that was his problem, however.

Ryu had been suspicious ever since Ice had returned that night, watching him with a closeness he hadn’t ever used before, telling Ice to mind his own business when he’d ask why. Then, he started to follow Ice around more, still being no clearer on his motives or explanations for doing so and simply telling Ice that if he had that much of a problem, he could tell him and he would leave. Though Ice thinks Ryu knows full well that he’d never be able to refuse him. Then one day, he touches Ice’s hand and repels so quickly, Ice wonders what he possibly could have done to elicit such a reaction.

“Ice,” for once, Ryu’s voice isn’t baritone, but is shocked, _hurt_ , “please tell me you didn’t.”

“What are you talking about?” Ice tries to move forward, to comfort Ryu, to attempt to get rid of the horrified look on Ryu’s face and make him feel better but Ryu steps backwards again.

“You gave it away?” His voice is strained, his usually stoic face now showing nothing but intense sadness, his lip quivering.

“What, how did you-,” Ice begins, being interrupted.

“How could I not know you’d given your _soul_ away, Ice?” Ryu snaps, now looking more furious than upset, a look of such fury that Ice wonders how it can possibly be Ryu, _his_ Ryu, looking at him like he’s worthless.

“I didn’t….I did it for all of us!” Ice’s voice is weak, even he can hear it, but he can’t help himself. The desperation building inside him is near breaking point.

“How could you giving away the very thing that makes you, _you_ , be of any good to any of us?” Ryu grabs onto his shoulders, staring at him so intensely that Ice wonders briefly if he’ll hurt him, even though he doesn’t think Ryu would ever be capable of such a thing. He’d also assumed Ryu would never flinch from his touch, though, so perhaps he was wrong.

“I’m still me.” Ice replies, shaking ever so slightly and wanting nothing more than for Ryu to just hold him, to tell him that he’s not done the worst thing he could possibly have done, to tell him that he loves him.

“Ice, your soul isn’t just something to be given away for something as fickle as money.” Ryu’s voice is softer, his gaze less intense. “I didn’t mean to shout at you, but I’m not letting this happen.”

“It’s already happened, Ryu.” Ice protests, holding Ryu’s hand, not knowing what Ryu is going to do or how he even knew just from touching him.

“I’m going to fix this, Ice. You deserve better.”

It was the last time he saw Ryu that year, walking down the street at a hurried pace, disappearing into thin air.

 

* * *

 

 

_“Lee!” Ice shouts for what seems like the fiftieth time that day, kicking his clothes around his bedroom in a fit of rage. “LEE!”_

_“Ice, there is no need to be so rude.” The voice is as sickly as ever, an arm snaking around his waist and a chin resting on his shoulder. “You called?”_

_“I need your fuckin’ help.” Ice growls, turning around so quickly that Lee’s eyes only just keep up with him, moving back just in time to avoid falling forwards with the absence of Ice’s shoulder._

_“I gathered that, my dear.” He looks around the room with a wrinkled nose, taking in the carnage that Ice had caused in his desperation, his loneliness. “Care to specify?”_

_“Ryu. I need Ryu.” Ice can barely say the name without hurting, even after six months of him being gone, it still hurts. He still can’t come up with a feasible explanation himself, so Lee is all he has._

_“Ah. I see.” Lee nods to himself, sitting on the edge of Ice’s bed with a rather stoic expression by his standards. “Well I don’t think I can be much help in directing you to him at this particular moment in time.”_

_“Why?” Ice can barely hold back the desperation in his voice, practically falling to his knees in front of Lee, grabbing onto his knees. “Help me.”_

_“I would, darling,” Lee moves his hands over Ice’s with a sympathetic smile, “but demons can’t track angels.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Bahaha, yeah, well. This is based on the angels/demons as portrayed in the series 'Supernatural' to a certain extent.  
> I hope people actually enjoy this, as it's something very different for me.  
> I would be open to of course, doing more chapters, especially since the opening paragraph is indicative of a further development.


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